Mandela sign interpreter blasted across the world

December 12, 2013 4:32 PM

Photo: ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images

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Thamsanqa Jantjie gesticulates at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial, told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) less

Thamsanqa Jantjie gesticulates at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to ... more

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, Associated Press

Thamsanqa Jantjie gesticulates at his home during an interview with... Photo-5590978.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Thamsanqa Jantjie looks around at a television at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial, told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) less

Thamsanqa Jantjie looks around at a television at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign ... more

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, Associated Press

Thamsanqa Jantjie looks around at a television at his home during... Photo-5590991.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial, told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) less

Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world ... more

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, Associated Press

Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the... Photo-5590992.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial, told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) less

Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world ... more

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, Associated Press

Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the... Photo-5590993.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial, told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) less

Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa,Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Jantjie, the man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world ... more

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, Associated Press

Thamsanqa Jantjie gestures at his home during an interview with the... Photo-5590994.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Sign language interpreter Thamsanqa Jantjie, who was interpreting at the memorial service of late former president Nelson Mandela speaks at his home in Bramfischerville, South Africa Wednesday Dec. 11, 2013. The man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. Thamsanqa Jantjie did describe his qualifications for being a sign language interpreter, but told The Star he works for an interpreting company that paid him $85 for interpreting Tuesday's event. He told Radio 702 Thursday he's receiving treatment for schizophrenia and had an episode while on stage. (AP Photo/Itumeleng English) SOUTH AFRICA OUT less

Sign language interpreter Thamsanqa Jantjie, who was interpreting at the memorial service of late former president Nelson Mandela speaks at his home in Bramfischerville, South Africa Wednesday Dec. 11, 2013. ... more

Sign language interpreter Thamsanqa Jantjie, who was interpreting at the memorial service of late former president Nelson Mandela speaks at his home in Bramfischerville, South Africa Wednesday Dec. 11, 2013. The man accused of faking sign interpretation next to world leaders at Nelson Mandela's memorial told a local newspaper that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. Thamsanqa Jantjie did describe his qualifications for being a sign language interpreter, but told The Star he works for an interpreting company that paid him $85 for interpreting Tuesday's event. He told Radio 702 Thursday he's receiving treatment for schizophrenia and had an episode while on stage. (AP Photo/Itumeleng English) SOUTH AFRICA OUT less

Sign language interpreter Thamsanqa Jantjie, who was interpreting at the memorial service of late former president Nelson Mandela speaks at his home in Bramfischerville, South Africa Wednesday Dec. 11, 2013. ... more

In this picture taken on December 10, 2013 US President Barack Obama delivers a speech next to a sign language interpreter (R) during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. South Africa's deaf community on December 11, 2013 accused the sign language interpreter at Nelson Mandela's memorial of being a fake, who had merely flapped his arms around during speeches. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER JOEALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images less

In this picture taken on December 10, 2013 US President Barack Obama delivers a speech next to a sign language interpreter (R) during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at ... more

Photo: ALEXANDER JOE, AFP/Getty Images

In this picture taken on December 10, 2013 US President Barack... Photo-5590997.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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President Barack Obama looks down as he stands next to the sign language interpreter as he makes his speech at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto near Johannesburg, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013. South Africa's deaf federation said on Wednesday that the interpreter on stage for Mandela memorial was a 'fake', (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) less

President Barack Obama looks down as he stands next to the sign language interpreter as he makes his speech at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto ... more

Photo: Matt Dunham, Associated Press

President Barack Obama looks down as he stands next to the sign... Photo-5590998.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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President Barack Obama delivers his speech next to a sign language interpreter during a memorial service at FNB Stadium in honor of Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 in Soweto, near Johannesburg. The national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa says a man who provided sign language interpretation on stage for Nelson Mandelas memorial service in a soccer stadium was a fake.(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) less

President Barack Obama delivers his speech next to a sign language interpreter during a memorial service at FNB Stadium in honor of Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 in Soweto, near Johannesburg. The ... more

Photo: Evan Vucci, Associated Press

President Barack Obama delivers his speech next to a sign language... Photo-5590999.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise

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A sign language interpreter during the memorial service at FNB Stadium December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The interpreter was accused ob December 11, 2013, of being a fake who merely flapped his arms around during speeches. "He's a complete fraud," Cara Loening, director of Sign Language Education and Development in Cape Town told AFP. "He wasn't even doing anything, There was not one sign there. Nothing. He was literally flapping his arms around." The interpreter, who translated eulogies including those of US President Barack Obama and Mandela's grandchildren, looked as if he was "trying to swat a few flies away from his face and his head". "The deaf community in South Africa are completely outraged and nobody knows who he is," said Loening. AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKIBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images less

A sign language interpreter during the memorial service at FNB Stadium December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The interpreter was accused ob December 11, 2013, of being a fake who merely flapped his ... more

Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

A sign language interpreter during the memorial service at FNB... Photo-5591000.75996 - Beaumont Enterprise